Bag-feeder.



W. H. SMITH1 BAG FEEDER. APPLICATION min F.1'o. 1915.

Patented Mar. 26,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET1.

W. H. SMITH.

BAG FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED EEB. I0, |915. 1,260,825., Patented Mar. 26,1918,

3 SHEETS-sneu 2.

W. H. SMITH.'

BAG FEEDER.

.APPLICATION flLED FEB. 1o. 1915.

.Eatented Mar. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNI

s naar reina.

WALTER H. SMITH, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIG-NOR TO THE HARRIS AUTOMATIC PRESS COMPANY, OF NILES, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF IIIO.

BAG-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 10, 1915. vSerial No. 7,282.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER I-I. SMITH, of Pittsburgh, in the County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag-Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will e11- able othersI skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to insure the positive movement on right lines of bags or bag-tubes, to a printing press or other bag-handling machine so as to maintain accuracy of registry. y

According to my invention the topmost bag of a pile thereof is fed from the pile by a reciprocating feeder engaging one end thereof and moving it longitudinally, the stiffness of the material (enhanced by the usual corrugations) being such that pressure against one end 1s suflicient to insure its movement on the pile. The pusher by entering between the upper and lower sidesof a bag tube will lift the upper side to par- -tially remove the weight of the bag-tube from the pile.` By pushing the bag tube longitudinally over the pile its vprojecting portion may be grasped by off-take rolls by which the bag may be fed into the feed path of the press, and then by a second movement, at right angles to the initial movement, be fed to the press by any suitable means.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view. Fig. 2 an elevation. Figs. 8, 4,

4and 5 are diagrammatic views. Fig. 6 isa View of a bag-tube.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the feeder frame which may be located to one side of a printing press or other machine, at one end thereof, so that stock will first be fed into the feed path of the press,

at right angles to such path, and then into the press at right angles to the initial movement. I have shown a feed table 2 for receiving the stock from the feeder, such table being located in front of the press cylinders, a portion of one of which latter is indicated in Fig. l. The pile3 of bag-tubes may be presented to the feeder in any suitable or known manner, and-any suitable meansimay beA employed for maintaining the pile at a uniform point or height.

4 designates a separating and pushing member which is designed to engage the bagtube at its outer end and move it longitudinally of the pile a sufficient distance to enable it to be fed therefrom on a straight line by any suitable coperating means, such as take-out rolls 5 and drop rolls 6, which, according to the means shown, will continue to move the bag-tube longitudinally, after it has been separated from the pile, and deliver it on feed-table 2.

The separating and pushing member 4 is also designed to enter and partially lift the topmost bag-tube as it pushes the latter longitudinally, thus partially taking its weight oif vthe pile. rIhe particularform of pusher and separating member is immaterial, and may be widely varied, but it is essential that it be capable of entering between the upper and lower sides of the topmost bag-tube, the entrance being effected preferably at the point of location of the cut-out in one end of the tube or it may be at the correspondingl'y opposite point where the projecting tab is formed. The cutout referred to is shown at 7 and the tab at 8, Fig. 6. I have shown the pusher and separating member as being forked at its free end so as to form a V-stop 8a for engaging the edgeof the bagtube, the `lower branch of the forked end passing between the upper and lower sides of the bag-tube. This member 4 is fulcrumed on the lower end of an arm 9 depending from a shaft 10 which is partially rotated back and forth to impart the necessary reciprocation to the pusher and separating member. The shaft 10 is supported by side frames 12 which are adjustably mounted on the feeder frame so as to permit of the necessary adjustment to accommodate bagtubes of dierent lengths. According to the means shown the pusher and separating member 4, as it is moved forward by the reciprocating arm 9 is rocked on its pivot bearing so that in raising its forked end the bagtube will be lifted somewhat from the top of the pile. The means shown for accomplishing this purpose is a 4fixed cam 13 (Figs. 3 and 4) with which engages a roller 14 carried by the member 4.

The reciprocation of the pusher-actuating shaft l0 may be accomplished by any suitable means. I have shown for this purpose an arm 15 `depending from the shaft and having a roller or Stud fitting in the groove of a cam `16 splined on and driven by a shaft,

`17 which isoperated by'gearing 18.

In connection with the feed-table 2 any suitable means may be employed for feeding the stock, piece by piece, into the press, the means shown for this purpose comprising reciprocating members 19 and feed rolls 20.

Although l have shown and described the feeder as located to one side of 'a printing press, I do not confine myself to this arrangement, but it has the advantage that two feeders may be employed, one on each sidel ofthe press and both feeding stock alternately to a common feed table, or, if desired, two separate feed tables might be employed, one superposed above the other. The distinguishing characteristics of the invention reside in initially moving the top- Inost bag-tube longitudinally of its axis and in partially lifting the bag-tube from the pile. These bag-tubes, as now manufactured, are formed with longitudinal corrugations, more or less clearly defined, and advantage is taken of this fact by using a pusher engaging the bag-tubes at one end and moving them lengthwise, the bag presenting sufficient rigidity or stiffness to enable them to be so moved especially when partially raised by the pushing member. riccording to the means shown, after the topinost bag-tube has been thus moved longitudinally the action of the pusher and separator is discontinued and the further movement of the bag is effected by means engaging therewith. The means shown for this purpose consists of the cooperating rolls 5 and (i which are shown arranged so as to impart to the bag-tube a further longitudinal movement and deposit it on the feed table in the path of travel to the press.

1n practice, as the pushing and separating member el is moved forward by its carrying arm it will enter between the upper and lower sides of a bag-tube, and by engaging the edge of the latter will move it forwardly, and as the roller 14 travels over the lower face of cam 13 the pusher 4: will be rocked on its pivot and partially lift the bag-tube as-clearly shown in Figs. 4L and 5. This lifting action occurs concurrently with the pushing action, with the result that the bagtube is readily and easily separated from the pile and presented to the coperating outtake rolls 5 and 6. After the bag has been deposited on the feed-table it is then moved at right-angles to its initial movement whereupon it is taken up by the feed rolls of the press and fed to the latter.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention; and also that it is not necessarythat the feeder be offset relatively to the press. Then again, under certain circumstances it -i'night be desirable, as for bag bottoming machines, to feed the bag-tubes longitudinally to the machines, in which event the intermediate means for imparting a secondary or transverse movement would not be required, the bag-tubes under such circumstances being fed up to, and taken hold by, suitable withdrawal rolls.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a bag-tube feeder, a reciprocating member havinga portion for engaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for effecting an additional movement of said bag-tube engaging-portion to raise said bag-tube while it is being moved longitudinally, and coperating rolls for imparting a further movement to the bag"- tube.

2. In a bag-tube feeder, a reciprocating member having a pivoted portion forengaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for moving said bagtube engaging-portion about its pivot to separate the bag-tube from its pile while it is being moved longitudinally, and'coperating rolls for imparting a further movenientto the bag-tube.

ln a bag-tube feeder, a pivoted member, a separating element carried by said member for engaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for reciprocating said member, and means for effecting a relative movement between said separating element and said member to separate the topmost bag-tube from the pile, and cooperating rolls to which the bag-tube is fed by said member.

i. ln a bag-tube feeder, a pivoted meinber, a separating element pivoted `on said member for engaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for reci rocating said member, and means for roc ing said separating element on its pivot to separate the topmostbag-tube from the pile while said member is being reciprocated,

and coperating rolls to which "the bag-tube Vis fed by said member.

In a bag-tube feeder, a pushing and separating member comprising a. reciprocating arm and a separating element pivoted on said arm for entering the end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, said sepaico llo

rating element having a stop for engaging Y the edge of said bag-tube and Vmoving the latter longitudinally, means for moving said separating element to partially raise said bag-tube from the pile, and means for reciprocating said member.

6. In a bag-tube feeder, a pushing and separating member having a forked end for entering and engagingone end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, meansfor reciprocating suoli member, means for raising the forked end thereof, and feedout means for acting on the bag-,tube after it vhas been separated from the pile.

7. In a bag-tube feeder, a reciprocating member having a relatively movable p0rtion for engaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for moving said bag-tube engaging portion to lift the bag-tube as it is being moved longitudinally, and coperating rolls for removing said bagtube from the pile.

8. In a bag-tube feeder, a reciprocating member having a relatively movable portion, means on said relatively movable portion for engaging one end of the topmost bag-tube of a pile thereof, means for moving said relatively movable portion to separate the topmost bag tube from the pile While it is being moved longitudinally, and ooperating rolls for removing said bagtnbe from the pile.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence 0i tWo subscribing Witnesses.

IVALTER H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

C. G. PRITCHARD, O. A. LAPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente.

Washington, D. C. 

